1641 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1641.
Events
- March 12 – Abraham Cowley's play The Guardian is acted at Trinity College, Cambridge, in the presence of Prince Charles.
- Spring – Pierre Corneille marries Marie de Lampérière.
- c. May – William Davenant is convicted of high treason for his part in the First Army Plot in England and flees to France.
- August 5 – Because of an increase in cases of bubonic plague, John Lowin delivers warrants to London theatres ordering them to close.
- c. December – Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon, becomes an advisor to King Charles I of England.
New books
Prose
- George Abbot – Vindiciae Sabbathi
- Moses Amyraut – De l'elevation de la foy et de l'abaissement de la raison en la creance des mysteres de la religion
- Richard Baker – Apologie for Laymen's Writing in Divinity, with a Short Meditation upon the Fall of Lucifer
- Sir Edward Coke – The Complete Copyholder
- Luís Vélez de Guevara – El Diablo cojuelo
- René Descartes – Meditations on First Philosophy
- William Habington – Observations upon History
- Joseph Hall – Episcopacy by Divine Right
- Samuel Hartlib – A Description of the Famous Kingdom of Macaria
- Thomas Heywood – The Life of Merlin surnamed Ambrosius
- Thomas Hobbes – De Cive
- Sir Francis Kynaston – Leoline and Sydanis
- John Milton – Of Reformation
- Sir Robert Naunton – Fragmenta Regalia, or Observations on the late Queen Elizabeth, her Times and Favourites
- Mother Shipton – The prophesie of Mother Shipton in the raigne of King Henry the eighth
- Sir Henry Spelman – De Sepultura
- Heinrich Stahl – Leyen Spiegel
- John Taylor – John Taylors Last Voyage and Adventure
- Nicolaes Tulp – Observationes Medicae
- John Wilkins – Mercury, or The Secret and Swift Messenger
- Francisco de Quevedo – Providencia de Dios
- Juan Eusebio Nieremberg – De la hermosura de Dios y su amabilidad, por las infinitas perfecciones del ser divino
- Luis Vélez de Guevara – ''El diablo Cojuelo''
Drama
- Richard Braithwaite – Mercurius Britanicus
- Richard Brome – A Jovial Crew
- Abraham Cowley – The Guardian
- John Day – The Parliament of Bees
- John Denham – The Sophy
- Thomas Killigrew – The Prisoners and Claricilla
- Shackerley Marmion – The Antiquary
- James Shirley – The Cardinal
- John Tatham – The Distracted State
- Lope de Vega – El caballero de Olmedo
- Jan Vos – ''Aran en Titus, of wraak en weerwraak''
Births
- April 8 – William Wycherley, English playwright
- April 15 – Robert Sibbald, Scottish historian
- March 15 – Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester, English politician and writer
- May 16 – Dudley North, English economist, merchant and politician
- May – Juan Núñez de la Peña, Spanish historian
- Late October – Henry Dodwell, Irish-born theologian
- unknown dates
- *Pierre Allix, French-born Protestant preacher and writer
- *William Sherlock, English churchman and theologian
Deaths
- January 11
- *Franciscus Gomarus, Dutch theologian
- *Juan de Jáuregui, Spanish poet and painter
- February 15 – Sara Copia Sullam, Italian poet and writer
- April 6 – Thomas Nabbes, English dramatist
- April 13 – Richard Montagu, English bishop and religious controversialist
- June 26 – Antony Hickey, Irish Franciscan theologian
- July 15 – Arthur Johnston, Scottish poet and physician
- August 9 – Augustine Baker, Welsh-born Benedictine mystic and ascetic writer, of plague
- August 16 – Thomas Heywood, English playwright, actor, poet and author
- August – Sir William Vaughan, Welsh writer and colonist